ARCHAEOLOGISTS searching for the lost grave of King Richard III have discovered human remains under a car park in Leicester.

Bones unearthed during the dig have been sent for DNA testing and the experts hope that they turn out to be those of the medieval king.

A team from the University of Leicester has been excavating the city centre car park behind council offices for three weeks.

The dig has already unearthed the Franciscan Friary which contained the church known as Grey Friars, under which the medieval monarch is believed to have been buried.

Richard III is thought to have been buried in Leicester after his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth by Henry Tudor in 1485.

Archaeologists have also found paving stones which they believe were part of a garden which belonged to a mayor of Leicester, Robert Herrick, where, historically, it is recorded that there was a memorial to Richard III.

Research at the council-owned site began on August 24 with ground-penetrating radar equipment finding the best areas to begin the search.

The original dig was due to last two weeks but the team was authorised to continue into a third week by Leicester city mayor Peter Soulsby.

Richard Taylor, from the University of Leicester, said: "What we have uncovered is truly remarkable and today we will be announcing to the world that the search for King Richard III has taken a dramatic new turn."

They will be revealing more details about the recovered remains at a press conference in The Guildhall, Leicester, just streets away from the dig location off Grey Friars.